NEW YORK (CNN) -- Actor Russell Crowe was arraigned Monday afternoon in Manhattan Criminal Court on charges of second-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon for allegedly throwing a hotel telephone that struck a hotel employee in the face.

According to the criminal complaint accompanying the charges, Crowe admitted to the arresting police officer that he picked up the phone and threw it at the Mercer Hotel concierge "because he was angry," the Manhattan District Attorney's Office said.

NYPD Sgt. Michael Wysokowski earlier told CNN that Crowe "was upset because he couldn't get a call out to Australia."

Police said the victim was transported to St. Vincent's Hospital. Crowe was booked into the First Precinct and later escorted out, wearing handcuffs and sunglasses, for his arraignment.

His next court appearance was set for September 14, the D.A.'s office said.

"This arose because he was trying to get his wife on the phone in Australia. He was in his room. He couldn't get a line and there was a disagreement," Crowe's lawyer, Gerald Lefcourt, told reporters earlier outside the police precinct where Crowe was booked, according to The Associated Press.

Universal Studios -- which released Crowe's latest film, "Cinderella Man" -- said it had "no comment" on the incident.

CNN has been unable, so far, to reach the actor's publicist, Robin Baum.

Crowe was in New York promoting "Cinderella Man," a biopic based on the life of world heavyweight champ James J. Braddock, which opened in theaters last weekend.

According to Nielsen the movie ranked fourth place in theaters and grossed $18.6 million.

russell is a friend of my family! very close actually..
and he is a real down to earth guy! real stand up guy!
I could imagine the hotel he was staying in was a 5 * and the service he should have recieved he was not getting! so he walked down there and gave the clerk an earfull !
then no doubt the clerk got lippy and knowing russell couldnt believe the guy is so stupid so he through a phone at his head!
I would have done the same!
he probably didnt mean to hit him! just probably saying WTF is this HOTEL cant even make a long distance call!!!! and through the phone!

To be honest I'm on the side of the concierge. When you work in the service industry- waiter, barman or whatever people think you are there to do everything for them. Big names especially like to get arrogant, I know, I've served beers to a lot of actors and media people.
i mean look what happened during the shooting of his last movie;

"During shooting for the movie, Crowe was involved in brawl with his friend and bodyguard, Mark Carroll, a former Australian rugby league test player.

The actor later blamed himself for the incident, saying he had been drinking and the fight had erupted out of a "misunderstanding"."

so there you go: the guy will even attack his best mate. Clearly he has issues. Sue his ass.

Good luck for the concierge, he can cash in on the cr*p he's had to take as a lowly hotel porter.

To be honest I'm on the side of the concierge. When you work in the service industry- waiter, barman or whatever people think you are there to do everything for them. Big names especially like to get arrogant, I know, I've served beers to a lot of actors and media people.
i mean look what happened during the shooting of his last movie;

I don't know what happened so I'm not going to comment on Russell Crowe or the conceirge. But I wholly agree with Rapier that the service industry means exactly that to the public: you are a servant and a low human being to others. I spent my college years working as a waitress/hostess and working at some hotels. I was treated like scum sometimes and that was just by the average public. I had to plaster an ultra-fake smile even when drunk customers were screaming in my face. At least in hagwons I can get somewhat angry at the students.